The Lord liveth, and blessed [be] my Rock
This, with what follows, is the concluding part of the psalm,
which ends with a celebration of the Divine Being, and with
thankfulness for mercies received from him. The psalmist praises
him on account of what he is in himself, what he was to him, and
had done for him: in himself he is the living God, "the Lord
liveth": he has life in himself, essentially, originally, and
independently; and is the fountain and author of life to all
others, even to all creatures that have life, whether rational or
irrational: he is the giver of natural life to all men, and the
supporter of it; and of spiritual and eternal life to his chosen
people; and he continues to live, and ever will; wherefore the
saints may conclude that their life in every sense is safe and
secure. Some render the phrase, by way of wish, "may the Lord
live" F18; but then it must be understood
only that he would show himself more abundantly to be the living
God, and that he might be acknowledged so by others. The next
clauses are by way of petition; "and blessed be my Rock"; on
which he was built and established, to which he betook himself in
times of distress, which was his place of defence, and from
whence he had a supply; wherefore he desires he might be blessed,
not by invoking or conferring a blessing on him, neither of which
can be; there being none greater than he to call upon, and he
being "Elshaddai", God all sufficient, and in no need of any; but
by declaring his blessedness, by celebrating his greatness and
goodness, and by ascribing blessing and honour and glory to him;
and let the God of my salvation be exalted;
God was the God of his salvation in a temporal sense, saving him
daily from his many enemies; and in a spiritual sense, being the
contriver, author, and applier of it to him; on which account he
would have him be exalted both by himself, and in the high
praises of his people; ascribing the whole of salvation to him,
and giving him all the glory of it. Some render the words, "the
God of my salvation is high" F19; he is the most high God,
the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity, and is above all
others. In ( 2 Samuel
22:47 ) the words are read, "and exalted be the God of the
Rock of my salvation".